Vandals topple planters outside Petaluma Arts Center

<p>Nine planters holding small trees on Lakeville Street were knocked down Saturday morning outside the Petaluma Arts Center and the Petaluma Visitor's Center, volunteer staff said.</p><p>“They're all down. Every single one of them,” said Colleen Dwire, volunteer at the art center. “It's going to take some big effort and expense to get them upright again. A couple of them were cracked, and the trees are laying flat against the road now.”</p><p>A gentleman who watches over the property swung by this morning and noticed the damage, Dwire said.</p><p>Just what or whom caused of the tree toppling was unknown. A dispatcher at the Petaluma Police Department did not immediately have information about the up-ended plants.</p><p>The Arts Center was busy on Saturday with El Dia De Los Muertos celebrations, and many visitors were perplexed by the scene outside, Dwire said.</p><p>“Real awkward timing,” Dwire said. “It's pretty obviously a big bummer.”</p><p>(You can reach Staff Writer Cathy Bussewitz at 521-5276 or cathy.bussewitz@pressdemocrat.com.)</p>